Audi TT (1999 - 2006) Car Review

INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC

Our Rating: 7.1 / 10

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

To many, the Audi TT is an aspirational bauble of aluminium detailing, casually oozing post-millennium European cool, effortlessly dripping with the Bauhaus architectural design cues popularised by Gropius in the 1930s. Others will see it as a grotesquely mutated Volkswagen Golf. Whichever camp you reside in, the Audi TT can’t be ignored and it has proved an important model for Audi, not only as an image builder, but also as a sales winner in its own right. The sort of scares over its high-speed handling that would have severely dented the used values of many other cars barely caused a ripple on the TT’s residual values when they surfaced in 1999. With approved modifications to cure this alleged instability at speed, the car is rock solid: without it’s certainly lively.

History

The Audi TT was first displayed to the world at the 1995 Frankfurt Show. Whilst it made an impressive show car, few reckoned on Audi’s resolve to try to put as much of the prototype that rotated on its shiny turntable into a production car. Indications that this was indeed the case surfaced sporadically throughout the following three years until the car was unveiled to an astonished press in 1998. Official UK sales of the car began in February 1999, and such was the clamour to get hold of the TT that many paid double the asking price for early left-hand drive European models.

Two models were made available, the 180bhp and 225bhp coupe models. Both had an engine based on the 150bhp 1.8T engine used almost everywhere across parent company Volkswagen’s empire, but the 225bhp version mated its unit to a six-speed gearbox. Both cars boasted quattro permanent four-wheel drive, borrowing the Haldex centre differential system from Volkswagen Syncro models. Externally the TT 225 was distinguished by its twin exhaust tail pipes.

In August 1999, roadster versions of both TT models were made available. This launch was overshadowed by a growing number of reports calling into question the high-speed stability of the TT following a rash of accidents. Audi responded swiftly, recalling all cars and fitting them with modified shock absorbers, anti-roll bars, a rear spoiler and, latterly, the ESP stability control program. Many industry observers quietly doubted whether any of these changes were in fact necessary. The common belief was that due to its looks, many buyers who wouldn’t normally be attracted to an admittedly animated high-performance coupe were purchasing the TT and driving the car well beyond the margins of their skills.

In autumn 2000, the TT 180 received the six-speed gearbox that was previously only available in the TT 225, enabling more relaxed and economical high-speed cruising. A more extrovert range of colours was also unveiled, finally putting an end to the co

Opinion

The TT is one of the most conspicuously styled cars of recent years. Everything about the design of the interior and exterior has been created with function first, but visual impact a very close second. Slide into the drivers seat and other cars instantly seem very bland. Inside, as would be expected of Audi, everything is soft touch, beautifully damped in a motif of retro-cool aluminium, industry-functional rubber and taut, shiny leather. Every switch has a well-oiled motion, a solid detent and hidden 'surprise and delight' features that betray a worrying attention to detail amongst Audi engineers. Depress the aluminium throttle pedal to the floor in one fluid movement and - click - metal on metal; an exemplar of the surgical excision of mush or flab that marks the TT. At a standstill, there's no debate; the TT leaves its rivals floundering.

The coupe is rather tight on the inside, with a notice on the tailgate warning rear seat occupants that if they tower above the height of 4’11’’ their heads will smash through the rear screen when the tailgate is closed. Up front, the turret-slit windows and low seating position can feel slightly claustrophobic, and in town a TT would never keep up with a briskly driven Audi S3 – all round visibility is just too poor. Want to anger a TT driver? Just let them go first at a traffic light queue. There you will witness Darwinism reversed, as human momentarily becomes Galapagos tortoise, neck craned forward in a desperate attempt to see the traffic signals. Luggage space in the rear of the coupe is pretty impressive, especially with the rear seats folded, certainly shaming other coupe rivals such as the Alfa Romeo GTV in this respect.

The roadster model is very impressive indeed, although the decapitation process has radically altered the essential character of the car. The sleek swoop of the roofline has gone, replaced by a well sculpted but chunky hood that gives the car a profile that best resembles a Tonka rendering of a Porsc

Cost

The Audi TT is no longer the bulletproof financial proposition it once was, but it still clings on to its residual value remarkable effectively. The first of the 1999 180bhp coupes will still be worth in the region of £5,000, whilst the 225bhp version hovers around the £5,600 mark.

Prices for used roadster models start at £5,500 for an early 1999 180bhp version, or £5,800 for a 225bhp variant of the same vintage. Expect to pay between £500 and £1000 less for cars that don’t have the full Audi-approved modifications package of suspension changes, rear spoiler and ESP stability control system. Insurance for all 1.8 TT models is Group 18, although it pays to shop around, especially if you’re angling for a 225bhp car.

Prices for the 3.2-litre V6 models start at £10,300 (Coupe) and £10,500 (Roadster) while TT150 Roadsters are available for £9,200 – all of these rates are for 03-plate models.

Problems?

The TT is based on the proven mechanicals of the Volkswagen Group’s 1.8-litre turbo engine, so there aren’t too many scares with the powertrain or transmission. The biggest concern for TT owners is whether the handling modifications prescribed by Audi have been carried out. Without these changes, the Audi is certainly lively at the back end, and many owners were shocked by the experience of their four-wheel drive car snaking out of corners, the tail swinging to and fro like a pendulum. Perhaps Audi were a victim of their own successful advertising here – the public generally believing that quattro meant the ability to stick infallibly anywhere, in any conditions. The work carried out includes the ESP stability control system and rear suspension changes which certainly quell the car’s predilection for sideways motion, and also a rear spoiler of dubious cosmetic benefit which claims to add aerodynamic downforce to the rear. Several owners understandably specified ESP and the suspension changes but baulked at the idea of bolting on a spoiler, so don’t make the mistake of believing an unspoilered TT to be completely unmodified.

Check tyre wear problems. The TT is very sensitive to any errors in suspension set up and very small tracking problems can generate big tyre bills quickly. The car is also very colour sensitive. Silver coupes sell far easier than black although denim blue has proved popular. This problem is exacerbated in the roadster range. Aside from silver, the initial batch of roadsters introduced to this country wore some very unflattering colours, especially the grey that was variously described as elephant, primer or Tirpitz grey by most who saw it.

Many TTs will have been imported from Europe. Always have a close look at the accompanying paperwork and familiarise yourself with UK specifications and options to ensure that somebody is not making a quick buck or, indeed, Euro at your expense as many European models are front wheel drive only.

Parts

(approx based on a 1999 180bhp Coupe) Audi consumables once had a reputation for costliness, but whilst they are a bit pricier than Ford or Vauxhall, spares are by no mea